As the Creek Flows
by FlitterFlutterFly
Summary: As the marriage contract is finalized, Harry contemplates the view outside his window, and how his life will forever be changed. AU. Oneshot. Draco/Harry. Arranged marriage fic.


**Genres: **Romance; Friendship; Angst

**Rating:** T

**Warning:** None

**Pairings: **DracoHarry; RonHermione (minor)

**Summary:** As the marriage contract is finalized, Harry contemplates the view outside his window, and how his life will forever be changed.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter.

**Notes:** There is very little dialogue in this. I started it thinking it would become the start of another long chapter story, but halfway through it became a contemplative one-shot. Could be considered boring for some people, but I hope others will feel the undercurrent. Enjoy.

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Outside the small room's window, there was a creek. The creek sat upon the grass-laden ground in serene grace as its clear water flowed softly, disappearing into the far away hills. Surrounding the creek was a forest of trees, shading the tranquility of the rippling liquid. Various animals visited the creek, relieving their thirsting throats with its pleasant coolness. Despite that, no matter how many animals came to drink from it, the creek went on strong, never running dry, even in the heat of the summer.

Harry would often escape into the small room on days he could not face the world. On the day his engagement was announced, he sat on the dusty window bench and watched the creek as it flowed. He envied the freedom of it, and the animals that visited it. He cried his own clear water, and let the tears leave stains onto the faded cloth he sat on.

Then, as the sunset cast a glow off the creek, bathing the world in multicolored hues, Harry contemplated the world, his life, and the future he was teetering on the edge of drowning in. When the light of the sun finally slipped away below the horizon, Harry took a breath and let it out. He stood, blindly making his way out of his small sanctuary, and headed calmly to the bed he would occupy for only one more night.

When the sun returned the next day, Harry rose with it. He readied himself for the daylight and was taken by his loving godfather, the Lord Black, away from the manor that raised him.

As the sun reached the highest point in the sky, Harry, the last of the line of Potters, did what he was trained to do since birth, even before his parents were killed. As the sun reached the highest point in the sky, Harry was given out as a consort in return for a much-needed alliance between two powerful families. As the sun reached the highest in the sky, Harry was married to the future Lord Malfoy, a man by the name of Draco. As the sun reached the highest in the sky, Harry resolved to flow, like the creek, and boldly face the life lying out in front of him.

The marriage ceremony was small. Only the current and future Lords Black and the current Lord Malfoy paid witness. Harry wore the traditional white robes of a consort. Draco wore the dark green robes that proved of his status.

Harry went through the vows on instinct. The cool grey eyes of his new husband and Lord bore into him, and Harry could not help but feel somewhat light-headed. Before he even realized it, he had become an official member of the Malfoy family.

Harry found himself escorted on the arm of his new Lord out of the Malfoy study and to the main ballroom. He attempted to memorize the passages, for this new manor would be his indefinite home, but failed. As the pair reached the ballroom, he saw the all the guests must have arrived. The crowds grew quiet as they were announced, and together they gracefully entered the room.

As per tradition, the newly married split to socialize. Draco would talk with other Lords and their heirs. Harry would talk with consorts or future consorts. Knowing this, his eyes immediately found the soothing face of his long-time friend, and he moved to her.

"Congratulations on your marriage." Hermione's voice was soft, but her eyes asked the question she could not say allowed.

"Thank you." Harry told her, attempted to convey only reassurances back to her. He was fine; after all, he knew the alliance would have to occur eventually.

And then, more consorts approached him, and Harry found himself saying "thank you" more times that he had ever said before. It seemed all the noble families of the world were in attendance, but of course they were.

As Draco was to be the next Lord Malfoy, the future ruler of a fourth of the world, Harry's godfather was Lord Black, the current ruler of a different fourth. The amnesty between the two families had been growing apparent in the past years. The Weasley family would side with the Blacks, and the Zabini family with the Malfoys. It would be disastrous.

Harry was known to be a favorite of Lord Sirius Black, and he knew that he would one day be married in a political alliance. He had almost expected it to be Draco, Blaise already had a consort after all. Even knowing that, he wasn't sure if he was ready. But he had to be, for the sake of the people. They could not go to war, for peace was what brought prosperity to the land.

Harry could only hope that the marriage would be enough.

It had to be.

As the ball drew on, Harry was led away from the consorts to the dance floor. He danced with Sirius and Regulus, his godfather's heir and older brother figure. He danced with Bill, the future Lord Weasley, and the rest of the Weasley brothers. He danced with Blaise, the future Lord Zabini, and countless other nobles until they faces all began to blur together. Then, the last dance of the night, as was expected, Draco took Harry's hand and led them through their first dance as a married couple.

It was not as if they had never danced before. It was custom that they had. Yet all the other dances had the tension of wartime. Even their last, at the ball celebration of Ron's wedding to Hermione, had held coiled muscles and hard stares.

Now, as they danced a slow waltz, there was only a promise of peace. A beautiful promise that made Harry want to believe that it was their first dance.

He was now his husband's consort. His lover, his voice of reason behind closed doors. He was submissive to his husband's words, yet the only one that would dare to challenge him, besides perhaps his father. He would be the one who would understand, and eventually he could hope to be understood as well.

And Harry could see, one day years from that dance that marked the beginning, he would be given a day to go where he liked. On that day he would go to the manor that raised him, and up the stairs to that small room that used to be his only sanctuary. He would stroke the window seat that housed him on long nights, and smile at the tearstains made from uncertainty. Then, he would sit on that faded cushion and let his eyes peer out his dusty glass window.

He would see the creek flow and the trees shade and the animals drink. He would watch the sunset cast glows of multicolored light upon the world. He would contemplate the world, his life, and the future that stretched before him. The future he opened his arms to in childish enthusiasm.

Then, even before the light of the sun slipped below the horizon, Harry would take a deep breath and let it out. He would stand, blindly making the out of the small room that once was his sanctuary, and he would head calmly back to the manor that saw him live the happiest years of his life. He would slip into the bed where he belonged and into the arms of his husband.

And if he was asked, on that day years from now, what he had done with his free time. He would simply smile and say a simple sentence, knowing that it was the one thing his husband would never learn. Knowing it was his life, his past, his future.

"I watched a creek flow."

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This may end up being my last upload for several months. I will soon dive into a schedule with no free time past studying. After that is finished, I will be without Internet for almost two months. However, I have an alternate version of this world that I'm working on, and I may end up getting it up before I become isolated. I hope you enjoyed!


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